How does not making a decision actually equate to making a decision? How can you move forward even if you can’t make up your mind? Today’s podcast contains a quick solution to helping you get past the decision paralysis.

If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor.

— Desmond Tutu

This is a pretty heavy quote to be throwing around in a creativity podcast but it came up in my twitter feed this week and reminded me of one of my own personal mantras – No decision is still a decision – You are basically deciding to take no action and no action gets you no results.

If you can’t start your next project because you are having trouble deciding if your next photo series should be of still life fruit or puppies in bow ties. If you are having trouble starting your next project because you can’t decide if you’re protagonist should be a cat or a dog. If you are having trouble getting started because you can’t make a decision you have actually chosen not to do anything. You have chosen to wait, procrastinate, do it later, think some more, mull it over. And in doing that you have decided to not do anything.

Sometimes instead of choosing the perfect solution you need to choose a direction. Any Direction. You may find out down the line that your decision to photograph puppies in bow ties isn’t working and you need to back track to fruit. But at least you’ve been using your camera. At least you’ve been practicing your craft.

You may decide that your protagonist works better as a dog than a cat. You may have to go a scrub a few details and change a few names but at least you’ve been writing.

The only way out of a labyrinth is to keep moving and remember your steps on the way through. You’ll hit dead ends and have to back track but eventually you’ll outsmart the minotaur.

You can only move forward by deciding to take the steps.

No decision is still a decision.

Here’s where you get to do some thinking.

Is there a decision you are stuck on?Are you holding back on a project until you learn just a little more?Are you having trouble deciding on the next project?

What’s the worst that can happen if you just go forward?Is this a decision you can just toss a coin for?Can you ask a friend to make the decision and follow through on what they say?

Did any of this make you think of someone you know? I hope you’d share this episode with them and maybe it will help them move forward just enough to started again. The share url for this episode is TheSparkAndTheArt.com/21

Thanks for listening and remember, you won’t get the art without the work and you won’t do the work without the spark.